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If Tiger Woods Wasn't Troubled, How High Would His Salary Be?

Inspite of all His Troubles Tiger Woods is Still The Highest Paid Athlete

 

Tiger Woods, high salary? Apparently, despite being troubled over the past two years, Tiger Woods is still the highest paid athlete.  Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, supposedly makes $22 million less than Tiger's reported $75 million.  

Kurt Badenhausen, of Forbes.com that com wrote the following:

The business of Tiger Woods has been taking on water the past two years. Sponsors like Accenture, AT&T, Gillette and PepsiCo have jumped ship since his November 2009 car crash and the resulting scandal. His golf course design business has been hammered by the economic downturn. 

His winless streak on the course is at 20 months and counting, and the former No. 1 golfer in the world is now ranked 13th. Woods’ annual earnings have plummeted $50 million over the past two years.

Yet Tiger Woods is still the highest-paid athlete in the world – and it isn’t even a close call. Woods earned $75 million over the past 12 months, easily outdistancing second-ranked Kobe Bryant, who made $53 million.

Woods can thank two long-term sponsors for his hefty income. Nike signed Woods to a five-year, $40 million deal when he turned pro in 1998. Electronic Arts released its first “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” videogame in 1998.

The two companies have built significant businesses on Woods’ back, and his paychecks from both have grown. Nike launched its golf division with Woods essentially holding up the brand; last year it reported sales of $638 million. 

EA released its 14th Woods videogame in March, and the game racked up record first-week sales of 225,000 units; that topped the old sales record, set in 2007, by 17 percent. EA and Nike combined are responsible for more than half of Woods’ $75 million in earnings.

Bryant leads 15 basketball players that made the list, more than any other sport. Bryant added Turkish Airlines and Mercedes-Benz’s Smart Car to his endorsement portfolio this year. His $24.8 million salary with the Los Angeles Lakers is $4 million more than any other NBA player. No. 3 on the list is Miami Heat forward LeBron James, who earned $48 million over the past year.

Get the full story on Tiger Woods the highest paid athlete here.